BKS Artisan Ales plans Crossroads nanobrewery, tapping additional location closer to KC’s hub of activity

BKS Artisan Ales — dubbed a “little beer heaven” by industry insiders — is bringing its award-winning operation to the Crossroads, adding a second, smaller brewery location near what founders Brian and Mary Rooney see as a downtown tourism market that also is easily accessible to some of their business’ biggest local fans.

The multi-tenant building at 1701 McGee St., set to be the future home of BKS Artisan Ales; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News

The space at 1701 McGee St. is expected to open in late spring or early summer. And while the Crossroads already is a crowded market for breweries, BKS Artisan Ales aims to tap into existing customers who work downtown and live in Johnson County — and can’t conveniently make it to the brewery’s original location in Brookside — as well as BKS fans hoping to snag their favorite beer when they’re downtown to see a show or sporting event.

Their customers — and other beer enthusiasts who’ve heard of the brand — are people who definitely value quality in craft beer, Brian said, noting their profile often includes people who travel to other breweries, sometimes looking for brews similar to what they’ve tasted on the coasts.

“We make something on par with the coasts,” he said. “We see a lot of tourism within the region. People will drive in to buy our beer and to visit us.”

The new Crossroads spot will have a one barrel fermentation system for experimental beers, cider and mead. But all the Brookside beers will be available on tap and in cans.

BKS’ beers also are offered at about two dozen restaurants and tap rooms in the metro.

When the Rooneys, who are self-financing the brewery, began looking for a space in the Crossroads, developer Butch Rigby had a small spot in his redevelopment at 17th and McGee. The multi-tenant complex (circa 1908) had long housed car dealerships and then the circulation department for The Kansas City Star. Rigby did a top-to-bottom renovation in 2013, and was eager to have the Rooneys in another development.

“They are fantastic tenants, just fantastic people,” said Rigby, who also redeveloped the space in Brookside where the couple first launched BKS Artisan Ales in late 2017. 

BKS Artisan Ales brewery in Brookside; courtesy photo

Not just a hobby for long

Nearly a decade ago, the aspiring entrepreneurs were living in the Brookside area and wanted their new craft brewery to be within walking distance. The neighborhood also was underserved with the nearest breweries several miles away in Waldo or downtown.

Brian previously worked in insurance, while Mary was a marketing manager. He also was a craft beer enthusiast, so Mary figured a Mr. Beer home brew kit would be an ideal present.

“A lot of people got a Mr. Beer kit as a hobby and it turned into way more than that,” he said.

They started crafting beer in the basement of their home near the intersection of Rockhill Road and Locust Street, and a few years later entered — and won — some regional competitions.

On a road trip to Oklahoma, Brian tossed around the idea of opening a brewery one day.

Mary had worked in the Kansas Small Business Development Center at the University of Kansas while earning her MBA. So she pulled out her laptop and began writing a business plan during their travels.

Brian and Mary Rooney, BKS Artisan Ales, in 2018; photo by Tommy Felts, Startland News

It took a year to find the right landlord and Brookside spot — Rigby’s redevelopment at 633 E. 63rd St. — and another year for a build-out and a zoning change to allow for the craft brewery.

From the archives: BKS Artisan Ales takes measured approach with nano-brewery concept

The couple were inspired by craft breweries they visited in the Northeast and Chicago, operations that sold their beer only in their taprooms to keep quality higher and for “significantly better” margins than going through a distributor, which can be a “40 percent reduction in profit margins,” Brian said.

The Rooneys called their brewery BKS (short for Brookside) Artisan Ales. Originally it was just to be a part-time operation while they kept their day jobs — only open to the public for four hours on Saturday with just six taps.

But the response was overwhelming with lines out the door.

Two months later, they left their corporate jobs to expand BKS — growing slowly so they could keep the focus on quality.

“They make good beer. When you are selling beer and you sell good beer you sell a lot,” Rigby said. “They just kept growing and growing and growing. But in a smart way.”

Expanding the footprint

BKS Artisan Ales is now open daily, even though a few customers still think it is a Saturday-only operation. It also has more than tripled in size, taking over nearly all the first floor of the East Brookside building.

It has a production facility and tasting room with about a dozen of its beers on tap — rotating IPAs, ales and lagers. Packaged beers to-go also are available.

BKS Artisan Ales production operation in Brookside; courtesy photo

While it began as a 3-barrel brewhouse with three fermentors and one conditioning tank, BKS now has eight barrels, 19 fermentors and seven conditioning tanks.

It produced only 250 barrels in 2018. In 2024, it turned out 1,200 barrels. This year, the couple expect to max out their production facility at 1,400 barrels to meet demand at both locations.

Brian oversees production and packaging with three full-time employees, as well as branding: 

Mary’s duties are marketing, social media and accounting. They have seven part-time employees.

Building a reputation

BKS Artisan Ales produces hop-forward, classic and modern ales, as well as lagers. Its goal is to “push the boundaries of traditional flavor profiles.”

The Rooneys entered the Great American Beer Festival for the first time in 2021 and won a silver medal for their Clouds Double IPA with 195 entries.

A year later, they won a gold medal at the festival for their Rockhill & Locust in the English Mild or Bitter category, which had 68 entries. That beer was named after the intersection near their home.

They had decided what flavors they wanted to highlight in the beer first, then worked backwards.

“What do I want to drink? What do I want it to taste like? What ingredients are those?” Brian said.

Craft & Brewing Magazine put BKS on its list of “The Best 20 Beers in 2023” for its Pivo Project Bohemian-style Pilsner.

The magazine said the beer, “hits all the right notes. Our review panel remarked on its spicy, grassy aroma and on the striking hop and malt flavors that melded into ‘chewiness.’ Ultimately, it was the quality and refinement of the hop character and the harmony of malt and hop expression that drove its score of 99.”

Lifestyle website Thrillist highlighted BKS’ Counter Culture IPA, its biggest seller. Craft Beer & Brewing magazine said BKS was a “Little Beer Heaven” in Kansas City.

 

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Brian said there were only 5,000 to 6,000 craft breweries across the country when BKS was founded, but now there are nearly 10,000 with many great Kansas City area options. Two of his local favorites include Alma Mader Brewing and KC Bier Co.

Craft breweries that don’t have a good product can bring down the industry, Brian said, since that might be the first one a customer tries and then vows never again.

Many younger consumers also are turning to cocktails and seltzer, forcing some craft breweries to try to diversify, he said.

“We haven’t done that,” Brian said. “We take a creative approach and are very quality driven.”

Startland News contributor Joyce Smith covered local restaurants and retail for nearly 40 years with The Kansas City Star. Click here to follow her on Bluesky, here for X (formerly Twitter), here for Facebook, here for Instagram, and by following #joyceinkc on Threads.